WHY JESUS CANNOT BE MICHAEL!

There are specific groups such as the seventh day Adventists that believe the following passage describes the risen Christ as an archangel:

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

According to these individuals, Jesus’ descent with the voice of an/the archangel is taken to be a reference to Christ himself. I.e., the voice of an/the archangel is none other than Jesus’ own voice. They further infer from their interpretation of this text that Jesus must be Michael since he is the only archangel explicitly mentioned by name in the NT:

“But Michael the archangel, when he, disputing with the devil, was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” Jude 1:9

In this post I will show that such is not the case and that this is based on a gross misinterpretation of the inspired words of the blessed Apostle.

HOW SHOULD IT BE RENDERED?

To begin with, the interpretation and/or explanation of this passage is not as clear as these groups would have their followers believe. Case in point:  

“because the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] Himself will continue habitually descending (or: repeatedly descend) from [the] atmosphere (or: heaven) within the midst of (or: in union with) a shout of command, within the midst of [the] Chief Agent’s (or:in union with AN original messenger’s or A chief and ruling agent’s) voice, and within the midst of (or: in union with) God’s trumpet [note: figure of a message or a directive for action], and the dead people within Christ (or: in union with [the] Anointed One) will continue raising themselves up first (or: will one-after-another be standing up again in [the or their] first place).” 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Jonathan Mitchell New Testament (JMNT)

As the readers can see it is debated whether the Lord’s descent is accompanied by the voice of AN archangel, or THE archangel since the Greek word for archangel is anarthrous, i.e., it does not have the definite article preceding it. The same is true for the term trumpet, e.g., should it be a or the trumpet of God? More on this latter point later.

These ambiguities are reflected in the various English renderings of the NT:

“because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” William Mounce Interlinear New Testament (MOUNCE)

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” New King James Version (NKJV)

“Because, the Lord himself, with a word of command, with a chief–messenger’s voice, and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven,––and, the dead in Christ, shall rise, first,” Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (Rotherham)

“The Lord himself will come down from heaven. There will be a shout, a great angel will speak, and God’s loud horn or trumpet will be blown.” World English Bible (WEB)

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God’s shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise;” Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

THE EXPOSITORS

The interpretive difficulties can be further seen by the way various bible expositors have struggled in explaining Paul’s meaning. All emphasis is mine:

Let us then see what he now also says. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in nowise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the last trump. For then, he says, The powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Matthew 24:29 But wherefore with the trumpet? For we see this on Mount Sinai too, and Angels there also. But what means the voice of the Archangel? As he said in the parable of the Virgins, Arise! The Bridegroom comes. From Matthew 25:6 Either it means this, or that as in the case of a king, so also shall it then be, Angels ministering at the Resurrection. For He says, let the dead rise, and the work is done, the Angels not having power to do this, but His word. As if upon a king’s commanding and saying it, those who were shut up should go forth, and the servants should lead them out, yet they do this not from their own power, but from that Voice. This also Christ says in another place: He shall send forth his Angels with a great trumpet, and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31 And everywhere you see the Angels running to and fro. The Archangel therefore I think is he, who is set over those who are sent forth, and who shouts thus: Make all men ready, for the Judge is at hand. And what is at the last trumpet? Here he implies that there are many trumpets, and that at the last the Judge descends. And the dead, he says, in Christ shall rise first. Then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (John Chrysostom, Homilies on First Thessalonians, Homily 8)

The Syriac renders it, “with the voice of the prince of the angels.” On an occasion so august and momentous as that of the coming of the final Judge of all mankind; the resurrection of the dead, and the solemn transactions before the tribunal of the Son of God deciding the destiny of countless million for ever, it will not be inappropriate that the highest among the heavenly hosts should be present and take an important part in the solemnities of the day. It is not quite certain what is meant here by “the voice of the archangel,” or for what purpose that voice will be heard. It cannot be that it will be to raise the dead – for that will be by the “voice of the Son of God” John 5:28-29, and it seems most probable that the meaning is, that this will be a part of the loud shout or cry which will be made by the descending hosts of heaven; or perhaps it may be for the purpose of summoning the world to the bar of judgment; compare Matthew 24:31. (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)

1 Thessalonians 4:16. κελεύσματι = the loud summons which was to muster the saints (so in Philo, De praem. et poen., 19: καθάπερ οὖν ἀνθρώπους ἐν ἐσχατιαῖς ἀπῳκισμένους ῥᾳδίως ἑνὶ κελεύσματι συναγάγοι ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ περάτων εἰς ὅ τι ἂν θελήσῃ χωρίον), forms, as its lack of any genitive shows, one conception with the φ. α. and the σ. θ. (cf. DC[33], ii. 766). The archangel is Michael, who in Jewish tradition not only summoned the angels but sounded a trumpet to herald God’s approach for judgment (e.g., in Apoc. Mosis, xxii.). With such scenic and realistic details, drawn from the heterogeneous eschatology of the later Judaism, Paul seeks to make intelligible to his own mind and to that of his readers, in quite an original fashion (cf. Stähelin, Jahrb. f. deut. Theol., 1874, pp. 199–218), the profound truth that neither death nor any cosmic, crisis in the future will make any essential difference to the close relation between the Christian and his Lord. Οὕτω πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Php 1:20): this is all that remains to us, in our truer view of the universe, from the naïve λόγος κυρίου of the apostle, but it is everything. Note that Paul says nothing here about any change of the body (Teichmann, 35 f.), or about the embodiment of the risen life in its celestial δόξα. See Asc. Isa., iv. 14–15: “And the Lord will come with His holy angels and with the armies of the holy ones from the seventh heaven … and He will give rest to the godly whom He shall find in the body in this world.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament)

Verse 16. – For; assigning a reason for the above assertion, “because.” The Lord himself; not merely the Lord as the chief Person and Actor on that day, in contrast to his saints, but emphatic, “the Lord himself,” the Lord in his own proper Person. Shall descend from heaven; where the crucified and risen Jesus is now enthroned, seated at the right hand of God. With a shout; a word denoting a commanding shout as that of a leader to his host when he leads them into the battle, or of the army when it rushes to the fight. Some refer this shout to what follows – the voice of the archangel and the trump of God; but there are three particulars here mentioned. Others attribute it to Christ himself. With the voice of the archangel; or rather, of an archangel. There is only one archangel mentioned in Scripture (Jude 1:9); the word denotes, not “chief angel,” but “chief or ruler of the angels.” Accordingly, same suppose that Christ himself is here meant, as to him alone, it is asserted, does this title belong; but the Lord and the archangel are here evidently distinguished. Others strangely imagine that the Holy Ghost is here meant. Others fix on the archangel Michael (Jude 1:9). Christ is represented as accompanied by angels to the judgment; and it is futile to inquire who this leader of the angels is. And the trump of God; even as the trumpet sounded at the giving of the Law from Sinai. Also the advent of Christ to judgment is represented as heralded by the sound of a trumpet (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52). “We are to recognize three particulars, following each other in rapid succession – the commanding shout of the King himself, the voice of the archangel summoning the other angels, and the trump of God which awakens the dead and collects believers” (Riggen-bach). And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Some suppose that the reference here is to the first resurrection; that the righteous, “the dead in Christ,” shall rise before the wicked, “the dead not in Christ;” and that a thousand years, or the millennium, will intervene between the first and second resurrections (Revelation 20:4, 5). But this is an entirely erroneous supposition. All that is here asserted is that the dead in Christ shall rise before the living in Christ shall be changed; there is no contrast between the dead in Christ and the dead not in Christ, nor any allusion to the resurrection of the wicked. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (Pulpit Commentary)

Some have tried to identify the archangel, and Michael, the only archangel named in the New Testament (Jude 9), is usually favoured (Gabriel is simply an ‘angel’ in Lk 1:19; there are seven ‘holy angels’, usually regarded as archangels, in the Apocrypha: Tobit 12:15; 1 Enoch 20:1-8). But archangelou lacks the article and it seems Paul has no particular archangel in mind. Similarly voice has no article, so that it means ‘a voice of an archangel’ or perhaps ‘a voice like an archangel’s‘. The trumpet is associated with divine activity in the Old Testament (Ex. 19:16; Is. 27:13; Joel 2:13; Zc. 9:14), and is linked elsewhere with the parousia (Mt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:22). (Leon Morris, 1 & 2 Thessalonians: An Introduction and Commentary (The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) [Inter-Varsity Press & Eerdmans, Revised edition 1999], Volume 13, p. 93; emphasis mine)

AN ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT/SUMMONS?

This leads me to some additional problems with the verse in question.

Some translators/expositors interpret Paul’s words to mean that the risen Lord will descend immediately after the particular archangel in question shouts or cries out and God’s trumpet sounds off:

“One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven! Those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise,” J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)  

“For the Lord himself, at the summons, when the archangel calls and God’s trumpet sounds, will come down from heaven, and first those who died in union with Christ will rise;” Goodspeed New Testament

“At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise,” Jerusalem Bible (JB https://bibletold.com/1_thessalonians/)

“At the signal given by the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise,” New Jerusalem Bible (NJB https://www.catholic.org/bible/book.php?id=59&bible_chapter=4)

“At the word of command, at the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise.” Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB)

This shouldn’t come as a surprise since elsewhere we are told that an angel will announce to Christ that the time has come for him to harvest the earth with his sickle, i.e., the day when the Lord Jesus judges the world has arrived:

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sits on the cloud, ‘Put in Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ Then He who sits on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:14-16

It is even stated in another place of Scripture that a shout will be heard announcing that the Bridegroom, e.g., the Lord Jesus, has arrived to consummate his (spiritual) marriage with his bride (the Church). And those who weren’t prepared will be cast out from attending the Lord’s wedding banquet:

“Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. And later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” Matthew 25:1-12

What the foregoing implies is that the cry of command and the voice of an/the archangel may be referring to the angels heralding the angelic host and/or the inhabitants of the earth that the time of the Lord Jesus’ descent to judge the living and the dead has come.

GOD’S SEVEN ARCHANGELS AND TRUMPETS

Now as far as God’s trumpet is concerned, Paul identifies this with the last trumpet that will sound off immediately prior to the resurrection and transformation of believers:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must put on the incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible puts on the incorruptible, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the word that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;” 1 Corinthians 15:51-56

According to Revelation this is the seventh trumpet which one the seven angels will blow right before loud heavenly voices declare that the reign of God and Christ over the earth has finally been inaugurated:

“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them… And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.” Revelation 8:1-2, 6

“Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your rage came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and to give reward to Your slaves—the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great—and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’ And the sanctuary of God which is in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His sanctuary, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” Revelation 11:15-19

These seven angels are the seven archangels mentioned in other canonical writings and Jewish sources such as Enoch, which even names them. They are Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel, and Remiel. This in itself refutes the fallacious argument that since Michael is the only archangel mentioned by name that this therefore proves there are no others. The fact is that this is nothing other than a textbook case of the logical fallacy of arguing from silence: Argument from silence.

After all, just because the NT mentions one specific archangel by name doesn’t imply that the NT writers were unaware or even denied that other archangels exist. For more on this topic please consult the following post: MICHAEL: ONE AMONG SEVERAL RULERS.

The foregoing merely strengthens the interpretation that the voice of an/the archangel and a/the trumpet of God are referring to specific angels who will accompany the risen Lord when he returns to the earth to judge the living and the dead.

In other words, it is not the Lord Jesus’ voice that Paul associates with that of an/the archangel. Rather, the voice which will be heard is that of an angelic emissary who has been charged with making the announcement that the time for the risen Lord of glory to descend has finally arrived.

In fact, we are told all throughout the inspired writings of the NT that Christ is returning with all of his heavenly host, which includes all seven of the archangels:

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31  

“Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.’ And He answered and said, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the fiery furnace; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.’” Matthew 13:36-43  

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sits on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; having a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself, and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood, His name is also called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the wrath of the rage of God, the Almighty. And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, ‘Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of strong men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.’ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war with Him who sits on the horse and with His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who did the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sits on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” Revelation 19:11-21

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.” Matthew 16:27

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:31-33  

“But Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, also prophesied about these men, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’… keep yourselves in the love of God,waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” Jude 1:14-15, 21  

The blessed Paul himself made this very same exact point:

“so that He may strengthen your hearts blameless in holiness, before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” 1 Thessalonians 3:13

“This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. Since it is right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give rest to you who are afflicted and to us as well at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, executing vengeance on those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our witness to you was believed.” 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10  

Amazingly, these inspired writers have basically identified Christ as that very Lord YHWH whom the OT prophets declared will someday come with all his holy ones to judge the world in righteousness!

“Make a loud shout to Yahweh, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to Yahweh with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of singing. With trumpets and the sound of the horn Make a loud shout before King Yahweh. Let the sea roar, as well as its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy Before Yahweh, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity.” Psalm 98:4-9 – Cf. Acts 17:30-31

“Behold, Lord Yahweh will come with strength, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.” Isaiah 40:10 – Cf. Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12-13, 20

“Then Yahweh will go forth and fight against those nations, as the day when He fights on a day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; indeed, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then Yahweh, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!” Zechariah 14:3-5 – Cf. Acts 1:9-12; 1 Thess. 3:13

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Our analysis of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 has shown that this passage is not as clear cult as the cults and others would have us believe. For instance, it is not at all certain that the archangel whose voice the Apostle refers to is Michael or one of the other six archangels which both Jewish tradition and the NT presume to exist. And it is certainly not the case that Paul equated Jesus with an/the archangel since the evidence strongly supports the interpretation that he is not referring to Christ’s voice but to the cry of one of the angelic creatures who will accompany the risen Lord when he descends to the earth.

What the foregoing shows is that these specific cults and groups have built a doctrine on a very difficult text of Scripture, something which the Bible itself warns believers from doing:

“and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15-16

It is ironic that Peter speaks of untrained and unstable individuals who were already distorting the inspired words of Paul in the epistles, which he wrote with the wisdom given to him God. They did this by focusing on those difficult and hard to understand sections of Paul’s letters.

I say ironic because this is exactly what groups such as seventh day Adventists are doing when they base one of their major doctrines on a specific text from Paul’s inspired statements whose meaning is not as clear as the other sections of his writings, or the other parts of the holy Scriptures.

This means that they happen to be among the very individuals whom Peter condemned for being untaught and untrained, folks who are nothing more than Bible perverts that distort the God-breathed Scriptures to their own shame and destruction.

Ironic indeed!

Unless stated otherwise, biblical citations taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).

FURTHER READING

Is Jesus Christ the Archangel Michael?

Michael’s Contention With Satan

JUDE TESTIFIES: JESUS IS NOT MICHAEL!

JUDE & MOSES’ ASSUMPTION

JUDE’S EPISTLE VERSUS ARIANISM

The New Testament explicitly identifies Michael as an archangel:

“Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and blaspheme glorious ones. But Michael the archangel, when he, disputing with the devil, was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ But these men blaspheme the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.” Jude 1:8-10

Since he is the only archangel mentioned by name some have ventured to argue that he must be the same archangel whom Paul alludes to in his letter to the Thessalonians:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

The problem with this assertion is that this erroneously assumes that since Michael alone is mentioned by name in the NT writings the blessed Apostle must therefore be referring to him. However, this is an erroneous conclusion since it is nothing more than an argument from silence. I.e., just because the NT documents only mention one archangel by name doesn’t mean no other archangels exist.

In fact, the evidence from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as Jewish sources written during the second temple period, indicates that Michael is one of several archangels.

For instance, Jude is paralleled by 2 Peter 2 since both letters touch upon the same theme to such an extent that some scholars even argue that one is dependent upon the other.

Here’s the parallel from 2 Peter 2 to Jude’s statements regarding Michael not daring to go up against the devil without invoking the authority of the Lord, something that the false teachers had no hesitation doing:  

 “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who go after the flesh in its corrupt lust and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they blaspheme glorious ones, whereas angels who are greater in strength and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.” 2 Peter 2:9-11

Peter mentions angels in general who would not dare do what these blasphemers fearlessly and arrogantly do against glorious and fearful spiritual beings. This indicates that Michael is just one among the ruling angels, and not the only chief or archangel whom God created and appointed.

The book of Daniel makes this point explicitly when it describes Michael as ONE OF the chief princes, not the only chief ruler:

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing against me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Now I had been left there with the kings of Persia.” Daniel 10:13

Note the various renderings of this text:

“… Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me…” New Living Translation (NLT)

“… But then Michael, one of the highest leaders, came to help me…” Complete English Bible (CEB)

“… Then Michael, who is one of the strongest guardian angels, came to rescue me from the kings of Persia.” Contemporary English Version (CEV)

“… Then Michael, one of the most important princes, came to help me because I was stuck there with the king of Persia.” Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

“… Then Michael came to help me. He is one of God’s most important angels.” EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)

“… Then Michael, one of the most important ·angels [^Lprinces], came to help me…” Expanded Bible (EXB)

“… But then Michael, one of the chief commanders, came to help me…” GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

“… Then Michael, one of the top officers of the heavenly army, came to help me…” Living Bible (TLB)

“… But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me…” New English Translation (NET)

Jude itself provides further corroboration that there are other ruling angels besides Michael since it quotes from the pseudepigraphal writing known as Enoch:

“But Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, also prophesied about these men, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’” Jude 1:14-15

The citation is taken from 1 Enoch 1:9, which shows that both Jude and his audience were familiar with the contents of this book. As such, they would have known that Enoch lists seven ruling angels by name, one of whom of course happens to be Michael:

“And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: ‘The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their cryingst up to the gates of heaven. And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, “Bring our cause before the Most High.”’ And they said to the Lord of the ages: ‘Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings, and God of the ages, the throne of Thy glory (standeth) unto all the generations of the ages, and Thy name holy and glorious and blessed unto all the ages! Thou hast made all things, and power over all things hast Thou: and all things are naked and open in Thy sight, and Thou seest all things, and nothing can hide itself from Thee. Thou seest what Azazel hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving to learn: And Semjaza, to whom Thou hast given authority to bear rule over his associates. And they have gone to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have slept with the women, and have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins. And the women have borne giants, and the whole earth has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness. And now, behold, the souls of those who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates of heaven, and their lamentations have ascended: and cannot cease because of the lawless deeds which are wrought on the earth. And Thou knowest all things before they come to pass, and Thou seest these things and Thou dost suffer them, and Thou dost not say to us what we are to do to them in regard to these.’” 1 Enoch 9:1-11

“And these are the names of the holy angels who watch. Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus. Raphael, one of the holy angels, who is over the spirits of men. Raguel, one of the holy angels who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries. Michael, one of the holy angels, to wit, he that is set over the best part of mankind and over chaos. Saraqael, one of the holy angels, who is set over the spirits, who sin in the spirit. Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim. Remiel, one of the holy angels, whom God set over those who rise.” 1 Enoch 20:1-8

“And after that my grandfather Enoch gave me the teaching of all the secrets in the book in the Parables which had been given to him, and he put them together for me in the words of the book of the Parables. And on that day Michael answered Raphael and said: ‘The power of the spirit transports and makes me to tremble because of the severity of the judgement of the secrets, the judgement of the angels: who can endure the severe judgement which has been executed, and before which they melt away?’ And Michael answered again, and said to Raphael: ‘Who is he whose heart is not softened concerning it, and whose reins are not troubled by this word of judgement (that) has gone forth upon them because of those who have thus led them out?’ And it came to pass when he stood before the Lord of Spirits, Michael said thus to Raphael: ‘I will not take their part under the eye of the Lord; for the Lord of Spirits has been angry with them because they do as if they were the Lord. Therefore all that is hidden shall come upon them for ever and ever; for neither angel nor man shall have his portion (in it), but alone they have received their judgement for ever and ever.” 1 Enoch 68:1-5

The canonical book of Revelation confirms the statements of Enoch that there are seven angels that stand before God:

“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.” Revelation 8:1-2

Two of the seven are named elsewhere in the inspired Scriptures:

“I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the Lord.” Tobit 12:15 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

“And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.’” Luke 1:19

The foregoing clearly shows that Michael is not the only archangel since there are at least six others. Therefore, there is nothing in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 to prove that the voice of the archangel mentioned therein is that of Michael, as opposed to one of the other archangels who will also be descending when the risen Lord returns to the earth to judge the living and the dead (Cf. Matt. 16:27; 25:31-33; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:5-20; Jude 1:14-15, 21; Rev. 19:11-21).

Unless stated otherwise, scriptural references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).

FURTHER READING

AN/THE ARCHANGEL’S VOICE?

Is Jesus Christ the Archangel Michael?

Michael’s Contention With Satan

JUDE TESTIFIES: JESUS IS NOT MICHAEL!

JUDE & MOSES’ ASSUMPTION

JUDE’S EPISTLE VERSUS ARIANISM

In the epistle of James, believers are commanded to confess their sins to one another in the context of receiving forgiveness of one’s transgressions and/or healing from any illnesses that may have resulted from personal sins:

“Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:13-16

We know from first century sources that it was the habit of the churches of the Apostles to gather on the Lord’s Day in celebration of the Eucharist where the believers were exhorted to publicly confess any transgression they may have committed in order to partake of the Lord’s Table in a worthy manner so as to not defile their sacrifice:

Chapter 4. Various Precepts

My child, him that speaks to you the word of God remember night and day; and you shall honour him as the Lord; for in the place whence lordly rule is uttered, there is the Lord. And you shall seek out day by day the faces of the saints, in order that you may rest upon their words. You shall not long for division, but shall bring those who contend to peace. You shall judge righteously, you shall not respect persons in reproving for transgressions. You shall not be undecided whether it shall be or no. Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive and a drawer of them back to give. If you have anything, through your hands you shall give ransom for your sins. You shall not hesitate to give, nor murmur when you give; for you shall know who is the good repayer of the hire. You shall not turn away from him that is in want, but you shall share all things with your brother, and shall not say that they are your own; for if you are partakers in that which is immortal, how much more in things which are mortal? You shall not remove your hand from your son or from your daughter, but from their youth shall teach them the fear of God. Ephesians 6:4 You shall not enjoin anything in your bitterness upon your bondman or maidservant, who hope in the same God, lest ever they shall fear not God who is over both; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1 for he comes not to call according to the outward appearance, but unto them whom the Spirit has prepared. And you bondmen shall be subject to your masters as to a type of God, in modesty and fear. Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22 You shall hate all hypocrisy and everything which is not pleasing to the Lord. Forsake in no way the commandments of the Lord; but you shall keep what you have received, neither adding thereto nor taking away therefrom. Deuteronomy 12:32 IN THE CHURCH YOU SHALL ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, and you shall not come near for your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life…

Chapter 14. Christian Assembly on the Lord’s Day

But every Lord’s day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations. (The Didache; emphasis mine)

What may not be known is that there seems to be another inspired Scripture which commands the faithful to confess their sins to one another as a means of obtaining God’s forgiveness:

“And this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess (homologomen) our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10

Note the specific verse in question:

“If we confess (homologomen) our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Here’s how the word homologeo is used throughout the God-breathed Scriptures:

“Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 2:23

“and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” 1 John 4:3

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” 1 John 4:15

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.” 2 John 1: 7

“And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’” John 1:20

“His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.” John 9:22

“Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;” John 12:42

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:23

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32

“But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.” Matthew 14:6-7

“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God,” Luke 12:8

“For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.” Acts 23:8

“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;” Acts 24:14

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

“Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

“They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for any good work.” Titus 1:16

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.” Hebrews 13:15

It is clear from the preceding examples that the term refers to a public confession and/or declaration before other men. The sole exception to this general meaning is the following:

“But as the time of the promise was drawing near which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,” Acts 7:17

And yet even in this case of God assuring Abraham, it is still a declaration made to a human being.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that many an exegete (whether Protestant or otherwise) sees in 1 John 1:9 an exhortation to publicly confess/declare one’s transgressions to the Christianity community, i.e., the Church, in order to procure God’s forgiveness for those particular sins committed:  

confess our sins, not only acknowledge them, but acknowledge them openly in the face of men. Com. ii 23; iv. 2, 3, 15; Apoc. iii. 5; John i. 20; ix. 22; xii. 42; Rom. x. 9, &c. (Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistles of St. John: the Greek text, with notes and essays [MacMillan, Cambridge, 1886], p. 23 https://archive.org/details/epistlesofstjohn00westuoft/page/n7/mode/2up; emphasis mine)

1:9 Having described his opponents’ claim (to be without sin) and the concomitant reality (their self-deception), the author now puts forward a counterhypothesis in another conditional sentence. The sentence begins with the words, If we confess our sins.… The author projects a situation in which people acknowledge their sins in an ongoing way. He portrays authentic Christian living as involving honest and ongoing acknowledgement of one’s sins.²⁶

Confession of sin is not a theme that is found often in the NT. It is found in only four other places. It occurs in the Synoptic accounts of the ministry of John the Baptist when people came confessing their sins to be baptised by him (Matt 3:6; Mark 1:15). It is also found in James 5:16, where, in the context of praying for the sick, people are urged to confess their sins and pray for each other that they may be healed. People in Ephesus confessed their ‘evil deeds’ and burned their magical books during the ministry of Paul in that city (Acts 19:18). In each of these cases confession of sin was public, not private (i.e., not just between the individual and God). It may then be the case that here in 1:9 the author also has in mind public confession of sin. (Colin G. Kruse, The Letters of John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos, 2000), p. 68; emphasis mine)

Confession of sin was generally public (Mark 1:5; Acts 19:18; James 5:16; Didache 4:14, 14:1), and that may well be the case here. The use of the plural “sins” (rather than “sin,” as in 1:8) is a reminder that not just an abstract confession of sinfulness but the acknowledgment of specific acts is in mind. (David Rensberger, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: 1, 2, & 3 John [Abingdon Press, 1997], p. 54; emphasis mine)

9a. But if we confess our sins. This is an ean condition with the present subjunctive as in v. 7a, but with the adversative idea expressed by asyndeton rather than by a de particle as there. ZGB 327 says that in this instance the classical grammatical distinction has broken down between a condition that expresses what is possible (usually future in tone) and a condition that expresses a general truth (an atemporal present). The verb homolegein, ” to confess, acknowledge,” occurs 4 times in GJohn, 5 times in I John and once in II John 7, so that the Johannine literature accounts for 40% of the total NT usage (26 times). All the other 9 Johannine uses refer in one way or another to confessing Christ; this is the only instance of confessing sin. Indeed, the expression “confess sins” with homologetn occurs only here in the NT, although the same expression with the related verb exomologeln is well attested, both in connection with baptism and for people who have already been Christians for a while. Consult Mark 1:5 and Matt 3:6 for the confessing of sins as or after people were baptized by John the Baptist; Acts 19: 18 for believers confessing past evil practices; Jas 5:16 for believers confessing sins to one another in the Christian community; and Dldache 4:14: “In the church you will confess your transgressions,” as part of the instruction before receiving baptism. As for the need to make one’s sins known, Prov 28:13 (Heb) gives the principle: “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but the one who confesses them and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Sirach 4:25-26 instructs, “Never speak against the truth, but be mindful of your ignorance. Do not be ashamed to confess your sins.” Often this was done in a liturgical context, e.g., Lev 5:5-6: “When someone is guilty of such things, he shall confess the sin he has committed and shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord”: and Dan 9:20: “While I was yet speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin…”

All the parallels and background given thus far suggest that the Johannine expression refers to A PUBLIC CONFESSION rather than a private confession by the individual to God (although the latter view was held by Augustine, OecumeDius, Bede, and Theophylact). The fact that in the rest of I John 1:9 God alone is the agent of forgiveness does not prove that the confession is to God rather than to the Community (pace Schnackenburg, Johannesbriefe 86), for both 1:7 (the previous ” But if’ condition) and 1:3 show that relations to God are in a Community context. The passage in I John 5:16 suggests some public knowledge of sin in the Johannine Community (though not necessarily public confession). The idea of public confession also receives support from the four uses of homologein in GJohn (1:20; 9:22: 12:42) which involve public professions in relation to Jesus. The four christological uses of homologein in I John 2:23; 4:2,15 and n John 7 are also most likely public. Michl, Brlefe 207, argues that the confession in 1 :9a has to be public in order to end the self-deception; and he thinks in terms of the Sunday service, as in Didache 14:1 where the eucharist on the Lord’s Day follows the confession of transgressions. Others, as we shall see, think baptismal practice is being recalled; but there is no way of knowing whether in the Johannine Community the public acknowledgment of sin would have been in a liturgical or worship context. What is probable is that the confession would have been seen as related to Jesus’ promise, “If you forgive men’s sins, their sins are forgiven: if you hold them, they are held fast” (John 20:23). It is not surprising, then, to find that the Council of Trent (Session XIV, chap. 5; DBS 1679) saw in I John 1:9 a reference to sacramental confession, a view upheld by Bellarmine, Belser, Camerlynck, and Vrede but abandoned by most Roman Catholics today. In the Roman understanding a church usage of Scripture shows how a passage is relevant to church life, but is not necessarily indicative of what the original author meant when he wrote the passage. (Raymond E. Brown, The Epistles of John (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries) [Yale University Press, 1995], pp. 207-208; emphasis mine)

All scriptural references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).

FURTHER READING

EARLY CHURCH ON PUBLICLY CONFESSING SINS

The following is a Muslim article which has been removed from the website Jamiatul Ulama (KZN): Council of Muslim Theologians, but which I have salvaged from archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20030224043756/https://jamiat.org.za/isinfo/stoning.htm.

Rajm(Stoning) for Adultery in the Shariah and the (Hypo)Critics

It is not surprising to see the extent of blatant hypocrisy that is practised by godless worshippers of the flesh who have lost their moral and ethical anchorage. Sadly, their  Western-secular orientation has given them a skewed vision of moral values.

Status of the Shariah (Islamic Law)

Let us first understand the principled position of the divinely revealed Shariah. The Islamic Shariah(Legal System) has been revealed by the Creator and King of the Universe through two main sources which are the Holy Quraan and the Sunnah (Prophetic traditions).These two sources are  absolutely inviolable and cannot be changed by any human being.

The Ahkaamul-Hudood(Penal Laws) is a part of the Islamic Shariah. The Islamic Penal Laws cannot be compartmentalized so that it operates in isolation from the rest of the Shariah system. It is necessary to look at the larger picture of the complete Shariah system to appreciate it’s perfection. The political-economic and social system of the Shariah is geared to develop a society of caring believers, whose rich History bears testimony to the fact that it’s value-system strongly encourages the society to share with the less fortunate. One needs only study the laws of the Shariah to verify this. So the chances for vice and crime are strongly deterred in an Islamic society. Now insignificant braying is quite often heard from Western-influenced (hypo)critics that the Penal code of Islam is barbaric, that it is unjust to women, that it is archaic etc. etc …

Stoning to death for adultery is part of the Shariah’s penal code, whether we like it or not ! Muslims should not be apologetic about any law of the Shariah as it is not the product of the human mind, but it is divinely revealed.

RAJM(STONING) FIRMLY ESTABLISHED IN SHARIAH

 The issue of rajm or stoning for adultery is established and proven from the authentic traditions and practices of the Final Messenger. The scholars of Islam are unanimous that stoning a married person(male or female) for adultery is the prescribed Hadd(penal punishment) of the Shariah. This is established by the Sunnah(prophetic traditions) and these traditions are in the rank of tawaatur ( it’s narrations cannot be denied due to it’s appearance in all three generations by numerous narrators). It is also proven by the consensus of the scholars which is the third source of Islamic Law. Ibn Masud reports: “The blood of a Muslim person is not permissible except in one of three situations; the adulterer who is married, one who has killed unjustly, and the apostate.”(Bukhari and Muslim) This hadeeth is also reported with different wording by Uthmaan, Ayesha, Abu Hurairah, Jaabir and Ammaar bin Yaasir. Then there is the incident reported by Abu Hurairah and Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani regarding a workman who committed adultery with another woman. The Messenger of Allah instructed a man from the tribe of Aslam: “Go in the morning to this (particular) lady; so if she confesses, then stone her.” (Bukhari ,Muslim, Muatta, Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, An-Nasaai)

Buraida(r.a.) also reports the story of Maaiz which appears in various narrations. So he confessed to committing adultery and the Prophet Muhammad ordered for him to be stoned.(Muslim, Abu Dawud) This incident is also reported by Abu Hurairah in Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood. In fact the list of references is too long to mention here. Furthermore Buraida also reports the incident of Gaamidiyyah who confessed to adultery. The Final Messenger only accepted her confession on her third approach, and ordered that she be stoned after the child had been weaned. She dutifully returned after such a long period to be stoned.(Muslim, Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawud). Adultery is considered the third most heinous crime after associating partners in worship with the Sole Creator, and after killing an innocent person. For this reason the Magnificent Quran states: “And go not near to zina (unlawful sexual intercourse). Certainly, it is a Fahishah (a shameful transgression), and an evil way.”(that leads to hell unless Allah forgives him\her.)Quran-Chap.17-Verse:32 

SPIRIT AND AIMS OF SHARIAH HUDOOD (Penal Code of Islam) The Shariah needs to be understood in proper context to appreciate it’s spirit and objectives. The sacred Shariah aims to preserve and protect that which it also considers sacred and they are the following:

1) Human life– therefore a strict and severe penalty of execution will be imposed, if the heirs of the murdered person do not forgive the murderer\ess, neither do they accept compensation.   

2) Aql (human intellect)-for this reason the Shariah imposes 100 lashes for consuming intoxicants and alcoholic beverages since they affect the mental faculty, create dependency, harm the body and pose immense danger to society.

3) Respect and honour of citizens– slander and false accusations regarding a person’s chastity would result in 80 lashes being imposed by the Shariah court.

4) Purity of Lineage– allowing fornication and adultery would result in abundance of illegitimate children and, as is common today in the shameless westernized society, abortions(murder) of innocent unborn children.(This is happening by the thousands by the way, yet no Miss World or Law Society has come out with so much as a whimper to protest against this slaughter).Precisely to protect the lives of innocent, unborn children, we find the Shariah imposing an exemplary punishment that acts as a harsh deterrent by stoning to death or 100 lashes.

5) Property – if theft and looting are left unchecked it would lead to numerous difficulties for the hardworking members of society. As a result the Shariah here again imposes a deterrent punishment of cutting of the hand.

We should remember that each of these severe punishments are dependent on very strict conditions being met. If the Shariah court has the slightest doubt in the evidence which itself is quite stringent, then it would not implement the Hadd punishment.

The conditions for stoning for adultery are either uncoerced confession, or 4 eyewitnesses who witness the act as the pen enters the inkpot.(not even video footage will be accepted-a lighter sentence will be imposed, but not stoning). In the case of Amina Lawaal of Nigeria, the details are very vague , but we are given to understand that she confessed on her own. Since there are no eyewitnesses, the man cannot be punished unless he also confesses to being the adulterer. This happened in the time of Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w.).Two  people, Maaiz and Ghaamidiyya confessed to adultery due to their feelings of shame and seeking penitence from Allah. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) only accepted their confession on their third approach. The first two times he turned them back. Eventually they were stoned to death. The Prophet of Allah(s.a.w.) actually commented on the sincere repentance of Ghaamidiyyah, that had her tauba(repentance) been distributed for all the people of Medina, it would have been sufficient to gain forgiveness for all the people of Medina! The Shariah even permits a person to withdraw his confession even after the stoning has started! Furthermore, stoning a woman who was raped is totally out of the question, rather the guilty male stands a strong chance of being executed by the Shariah court. 

SHARIAH – STRIKING A BRILLIANT BALANCE

When keeping these objectives and principles in mind, the Shariah also   strikes a brilliant balance between the rights of individuals(human rights) and the rights of society so that both individuals and the society as a whole are amply protected. Unfortunately, the Western society imposes an unnatural emphasis on individual human rights without corresponding obligations, which has resulted in the rights of society as a whole being seriously violated, allowing for a descent into anarchy. The issue of crime out of control is one example of extremism. The opposite extremism is when the vigilantes take law into their own hands after much frustration. Then you sit with jail houses overflowing to the brim with hardened criminals at the poor tax-payers expense and with no chances of rehabilitation. They are deprived of the family support and rehabilitation, rather they go deeper into vice and corruption. The recent exposure of the corruption of wardens and prisoners at prisons in Bloemfontein captured on video footage amply demonstrates the failure of western penal system.

The incidence of Shariah punishments being applied pales into insignificance when one compares the high rates of crimes in Western countries and resulting convictions with it’s burgeoning costs !

The moderate and balanced system of the Shariah is criticised by ignorant fools who lack the necessary knowledge and depth of understanding and, who often are led by their own base and selfish desires. The world has tried all the extreme ‘isms’ (ruthless communism, socialism, corrupt capitalism, narrow nazism, genocidal zionism etc) and they are proving to be a dismal failure. It is now time for Islam to arrive on the world scene and when it does, it will appear in all it’s splendour and glory to save the fallen humanity by bringing a truly just and natural social order which has the divine stamp of approval !! This is the bold and confident promise of none other than the Master of the Universe: “He(Allah) it is who has sent His messenger(Muhammad) with guidance and the religion(code of law) of truth in order that it may dominate over all other religions(isms) even though the idolaters may detest it.” (Qura’an-Chap.61 Verse: 9)